I visited Cranbrook with my parents last week, and I really enjoyed my visit…read more Cranbrook has a fascinating history. It's a whole campus: art museum, sculpture garden, grounds, historic homes... The campus began when Detroit newspaper mogul George Booth and his wife Ellen Scripps Booth founded the complex, which eventually included schools, an academy of art, their house and gardens, a church, and more. Cranbrook is a hot spot for architecture nerds. Why? Much of the campus was designed by famed architect Eliel Saarinen. On campus, you can find the Saarinen House (the house Eliel Saarinen and his family designed on the Cranbrook campus as their home and studio) and the Cranbrook House (the Albert Kahn house built for George and Ellen Scripps Booth). Just off the campus (a five-minute drive away) is the Smith House (a Frank Lloyd Wright-house designed for school teachers Sara Stein Smith and Melvyn Maxwell Smith. All three homes are open seasonally for tours, either individually or together (Cranbrook offers a Three Houses Tour). We did the Three Houses Tour. While it's a lot (3.5 hours), it was incredible to see these three very different homes while visiting Cranbrook. A Frank Lloyd Wright is always a treat (but the Smith House is extra special given the story about the couple who built it), but the Saarinen House was also special, because of the relationship between Saarinen and the Cranbrook campus. The grounds are incredible. There are extensive walking paths on the grounds, and I wish we'd had time to see more of it. For example, we didn't have time to find the Japanese Garden! I did love the Carl Milles sculptures around the grounds. There's a lot to do at Cranbrook: the art museum, the grounds, the houses. The grounds on their own are worth a visit, and it seemed like some people who live in the area explore or walk their dogs in the area, which is very peaceful. We spent pretty much a whole day at Cranbrook between a visit to the art museum and the Three Houses Tour! I wish we'd gotten there earlier to allow more time to explore the grounds and gardens. It's a must visit for anyone who loves art or architecture!

Cranbrook, my love! A staple in Oakland County all my life! As a child, I came here for summer…read morecamps at the Science Institute, climbed that stegosaurus, and played about in the fountains. As a teenager, Cranbrook was my rival, as I went to Country Day for high school! As an adult, Cranbrook is one of my favorite places to walk with my dog all year round. We love coming here to appreciate the House & Gardens, walk around the lake, soak in the architecture & art, and share it all with our family and friends! Every time we come here, we see photoshoots happening (and maybe I have done a few for my dog too in the past) - whether it be senior photos, weddings, family photos, or what - Cranbrook is the perfect backdrop! It's dog-friendly, if you haven't gathered that yet, and the campus is so big that there is so much to do here. Nowadays, we love parking at the art museum and walking over to the House & Gardens and around the lake to the Japanese Garden and just doing that path regularly! It's a fantastic time every time we come here and I hope we can continue doing it for years on end. Thanks for being you, Cranbrook!

The Historical Society hosted an amazing event-Ghost Walk. The volunteers told fantastic stories…read moreof haunted areas around town. The ticket purchasing process and check in was easy. Our guide was great. Thankful for the home owners and businesses for allowing us to learn about the history of their property.

This an absolutely awesome place to visit if you happen to be in the area in October. I hope to see…read moreit a night this year, when the displays are illuminated, but have been several times in the past during the day. The residents put their whole back into these displays.

Terror on Tillson Street is an annual Halloween event in the picturesque village of Romeo about an…read morehour north of Detroit. This event attracts thousands of visitors to the town to view the elaborate Halloween decorations by the residents of Romeo, but in particular, the homes on Tillson Street. Best of all, this is all free and the street is always open to the public, day or night. On the weekends before All Hallows' Eve, I recommend arriving shortly before sundown to beat the rush of people that descend onto Tillson Street at night. There is free municipal parking behind the shops on Main Street by the police station. Parking spots closest to Tillson Street typically go for $5. I found a spot in the municipal parking lot and strolled the various streets on my ten-minute walk to Tillson Street. There are other homes around town that go all out for Halloween besides Tillson Street, and I recommend checking them out too. I preferred arriving before sunset because it gave me extra time to see a few other streets and stroll Tillson Street before it became super packed. It also made my second walkthrough after sundown much faster. I hear that it's a madhouse on October 31st, but this is when kids can trick or treat on Tillson Street to collect candy. It all sounds fun but I don't think I'd want to deal with the crowds. The direction of the flow of foot traffic begins on Tillson and Main Streets where a popular Dairy Queen is located. After crossing the street at Tillson and Sisson, visitors will make their way back down Tilson toward Main Street. At the end of the walk, there will be cider and donuts available for a donation. However, if you turn the corner you may see a table set up by a local church giving away free donuts, cider, water, and hot chocolate. Not saying this will be available every year, but it's worth it to check before shelling out money for a drink and a snack. The decorations are amazing! Lots of special effects where you can see ghosts apparitions moving in the windows of the homes and even a few surprises like a skeleton popping out of a coffin. I loved the animated Halloween decorations including a dummy wearing an Ohio State Buckeyes shirt being electrocuted, skeletons dancing, and a witch holding a girl over a cauldron. The clown house was excellently creepy. All that is needed is for Pennywise to stick his head out of the sewer! Terror on Tillson Street really is a must-see Halloween attraction for anyone in the Detroit area in October. Even though the decorations are largely the same each year, I wouldn't mind making Tillson Street a Halloween tradition. The townspeople are friendly and the homes are so beautiful. Romeo really is a storybook Midwest town that is a beautiful place to visit in the autumn.

Cool little museum showcasing Michigan's role in military history. My oldest son is a huge WWII…read morefan, and he loves to be close to the technology of that era. Both of my boys love the outreach: we participate in the Young Modelers Club on Saturday mornings through winter that the museum hosts. Lots to learn. They are trying to expand to protect and preserve military artifacts. Go visit!!

The only real gallery in Birmingham / Bloomfield area for the serious art collector and a great…read moreplace for a beginner collector to start.

Wow! What a hidden gem. I am ballot voter for the Polish American Sports Hall of Fame and I was…read morehere for the Induction dinner. It is located next to the cultural center and a banquet hall. There was a lot of memorabilia here from famous Polish American athletes and you will not be disappointed. They did a great job with all the casings, plaques, etc. You can be there at least a few hours to go through all of them. It's really easy to get too and it's located with several other Polish businesses surrounding it. It's a definite must to go and I highly recommend it!!!

I always love the street fair!!! The vendors are always so cool and unique and the food trucks that…read moreare there are always a hit! It's so nice to just walk around and experience the different artists in the community with drink in hand.

Love the DIY fair! It's an annual tradition to say goodbye to summer and welcome in fall. They have…read moresome fun and unique art stands. My daughter particularly enjoys the stuffed toys and puppets. I enjoy the atmosphere and fun crowd. The music is great and so is the food. They have one of the best funnel cake trucks with amazing fried Oreos, sooo good!!! Treat Dreams has an ice cream truck with their famous flavors. The ice cream cookies are the absolute best!!! They have an eclectic variety of food trucks that look and smell mouthwatering. But they could use more seating, it's very limited compared to the amount of people eating the goodies. I love the adult beverages available to purchase through tickets. They have a ginormous variety of beer and mixed drinks, plus some of the money goes toward different charities and good causes. It's ten tickets for $20, but this year I noticed you may purchase individual tickets. I prefer this option! Tickets are $2 a piece, so most beers cost around $6 or three tickets. I got the Griffinclaw pumpkin beer. It was amazing! Very pumpkin forward with a nice spice aftertaste. Most of the mixed drinks are between three and four tickets, cheaper than most bars. I've even seen some for two tickets. The parking can be challenging. We were able to find a good spot and only paid $3.00. But I wonder if it gets more challenging in the evening hours. I bet this a fun time at night. This is a great event when paired with the Funky Ferndale fair. I look forward to next year.

Super fun. Wasn't expecting straight-up joy from a "museum" but it was a hit for me, my teen and my…read more92-year-old dad. Lots of machines to choose from, with descriptors and convenient cup holders. Our only caveat, according to my 13yo: "They should have a more advanced card-to-coin machine or card readers on the pinball machines." Agreed--tho it wld put a crimp in the old-timely mystique. I rarely carry cash and I didn't see anywhere in advance (maybe I missed it?) that I needed singles or fives instead of a credit card to get quarters... So come prepared. They do have an ATM machine. (I don't have an ATM card these days, and my debit card wouldn't work.) Next time we'll bring the jingle. PS: There are a few pool tables, too--quarters only.

i used to frequent Sparks about a decade ago -- then i fazed out of pinball a bit and moved out of…read morethe area (i mean.. only 20ish miles, but still. i'm a pud.) i recently went back with my renewed love of pinball and had a good time ... for the most part. some of the machines were quick to gulp up quarters (note: put one in at a time and make sure it registers), a few were beat up to the point of being pretty unplayable, a good number have ZERO ball save which is rough on newcomers... i was kind of bummed in a sense. especially considering the owner of these machines (who's a great guy, don't get me wrong) claims to enjoy fixing them up more than playing them. well, i play 'em, and so you know... some are a bit wonky! truly, that can be part of the fun and mystique of pinball though -- except the eating quarters thing. fuck that. anyway my favorite part about Sparks now is that Mike has a slew of new Stern pins that are Insider Connected, so you can track your progress -- i'm always a fan of that. plus, the truth is, newer really is better in the world of pinball. i've always loved many machines from the late 80s and throughout the 90s, but most of the new machines being put out now are just incredible and i appreciate Sparks having about 8 machines from 2015ish to today. all in all, i enjoy it here, and it wouldn't feel quite right without dropping $6 for a 32oz draft of labatt poured into a haggard and microplastic ladened mug. which reminds me -- a drink and a half. that's the sweet spot for getting loose and doing well on a machine. happy pinning!